The Sulfur Alchemist: Rewritten
by RestInChaos
Summary: The Elric brothers want something all alchemists have wanted, at some point in time, and they're about to drown in the secrets that have led all alchemists astray, at some point in time. I want in. They don't know me, but they will. I'll make sure of it. My parents fought a war that wasn't theirs. Is it so strange, then, that I want to do the same?
1. Chapter 1

_Intuition Will be Our Map (May it Guide Us to an Actual Map)_

"Ahh… I'm starving…"

"I told you we should have spent the night at that hotel back there."

I glanced toward the girl at my side and scowled, trying my best to ignore the blush of embarrassment creeping up my neck.

We had been waiting at the train station for the past two hours (what city we were in was lost on me shortly after we arrived), with nothing to keep us company but the unbearable heat. I had long since discarded my jacket and the leather gloves I wore, leaving me in rolled up jeans I wore too often and a gray shirt stained with things I couldn't even try guessing the names of. My legs were tossed over the back of the bench, my head hanging off the edge. A finger of my gloves stuck out of my brown bag, which was resting underneath me.

"Shut up," I muttered as I rested my elbows on the bottom of the bench.

She shrugged her dainty shoulders, looking away with an air of indifference. She was much better off than me, that was obvious. How Hannah managed to sit with perfect poise in her blouse, jacket and intact jeans, I did not know. Not a strand of dusty colored hair was out of place on her and not a single drop of sweat rolled over her light eyes, while my hair was a chaotic mess in this heat and I could hardly keep my eyes open. Perfect little snob, I thought to myself with a pout, She better be the first to go if we die out here.

An elderly woman began to walk by, eyeing my lazy position with disdain, to which I responded to with a noticeable scoff. She inched away, clutching her purse with a tighter grip as she passed us by. Old hag, not minding her own business. With a large sigh at my apparent bad mood, a thought struck me as I glanced to the old woman's purse. I craned my neck to look up at Hannah, ignoring the ache in my neck and the rush of dizziness as I did so. "You have any food in Miss Snuffles?"

Hannah shot me a sharp look, no doubt catching the mocking tone of my voice. I snorted in response, but she ignored it and opened the large purse that had gained a personality all its own. She peered deep inside it, shoving her hand inside and shifting around the mysterious contents. Several minutes passed as I waited for results, until she closed her purse with a light snap, and began looking back and forth for the train.

"…Well?"

"Nothing."

My head plopped back down, letting gravity take over, and I let out a loud sigh of disapproval. She was quiet after this and, not long later, I began kicking my legs back and forth to gain a breeze. It was small, but it was better than nothing. We became engulfed in heat and silence. My eyes trailed along the upside-down horizon across from the train station, and my nose wrinkled at the sight of heat waves. I deserve a raise for this. Groaning, I reached for my neck as it began to cramp.

"Where are we going?"

My cramp went ignored. I looked up toward Hannah, appalled at the question. Not once had she asked for our destination before that moment – and we'd left Central City three days prior. She couldn't have asked any sooner? Then again, why didn't I tell her any sooner? I shook my head at my thoughts and sat upright. Facing the back of the bench, I stretched my arms into the hot air as I answered with a simple, "Xenotime."

Hannah nodded in response, looking off into space with the same monotone expression she reserved for the very boring of moments. It wasn't until a small gasp left her that I looked her direction once more, and saw delight on her features. I followed her line of sight, only to see a miracle darting down the tracks in the big, steel shape of a train. As Hannah stood from the bench, I jumped off of it, falling to my knees in the process. She ignored my clambering, Hannah holding her bag in a tight grip of excitement.

"Let's go!"

Snatching my own bag from the ground, I followed her to the edge of the platform, where the train was coming to a slow stop. "Food, finally! Do you think they'll have those triangle sandwiches? I love those," I commented with a large grin, already imagining the kind of junk I would spend the next four hours stuffing down my throat.

I bumped into Hannah upon trying to board the train, who came to a quick and sudden stop in front of me. Frustrated at this, I looked up to complain, but shut my mouth when I saw the barrel of a gun aimed at Hannah's forehead.

Perhaps waiting for the next train was a better idea. The two thugs in front of us were tall, towering over our own heights. One was thinner, and he sneered at us through from over his gun. The other was bigger and balder, and glared down at us.

At that point, my anger began to seep through. I was starving, having not eaten all day, and it was hot as hell. Inside her purse, Hannah carried a gun her father had given her when she left home; I had knives hidden away in my jeans, and alchemy in my hands; and they were in the way of food and cool air. Nodding toward us, he motioned to the exit of the train with his gun as he said, "You made a mistake coming onto this train, girls."

And apparently I didn't have a name, either.

I looked toward the people on the train, my fists clenched and shaking. I couldn't start a scene – no, I _shouldn't_ start a scene. I most definitely _could_. My capability of starting a scene was not in question. That was never in question. The bald one eyed me and scowled, asking Hannah, "What's with this chick?"

My body tensed even more.

Hannah glanced my way and her eyes widened. "Um…," She hummed, her hands fiddling with the strap of her purse. It was an act strangers would assume to be a nervous habit, but it was one I recognized as wanting her weapon. She needed a distraction if she were to retrieve it, however, and that was something I could gladly offer up for her.

"You assholes!" I yelled, glaring up at the two men. They jumped in response, not expecting an outburst from either of us. "You're the ones who made the mistake!" I shoved past Hannah, who was now digging into her bag as I threw my fist into the face of the balding thug.

He fell backward, stumbling until he landed on the floor against the opposite wall of the train. The thinner thug was surprised, to say the least, and was slow enough in raising his gun that by the time he did, Hannah was already aiming hers. He hesitated upon noticing this, giving me time to kick him in the chin. He was lifted into the air a little from the impact, falling back down a few feet away. This gave me the room to enter the train fully.

The balding man climbed to his feet, attempting to pull out a gun of his own. Yanking my bag off my shoulder, I swung it in front of me and could hear the bullet he shot off lodge itself into an item in my bag, but I had no time for that concern.

Changing grips with my bag, I continued its swing so that it slammed into the side of the thinner fellow's head. He fell back to the ground for good, and I heard a shot ring out to my right followed by a masculine scream and a thud. Hannah ran forward to pick up the gun she'd made the other man drop and I approached the man himself. I grabbed hold of his bleeding wrist and twisted it back, retrieving one of my knives to place at his throat.

I guided him onto an empty seat, where an exasperated Hannah tied him down. "I think we've scared the passengers," She whispered to me as she tightened the knot at his wrists.

Scoffing, I took the offenders' weaponry and shoved them into my bag. Before I replied, I perked up, looking toward the door leading to the other booth. "Oh, Hannah, they do have the triangle sandwiches, I can smell them!" I exclaimed, a grin replacing the scoff as I tossed my bag over my shoulder and headed off.

"H-Hey! What do you want me to do with these two?!"

. . .

I hummed in delight, stuffing yet another triangle sandwich into my mouth. Hannah's brows rose at me, her half-intact sandwich still sitting in her hands. With a small smile, I leaned back in the booth as I let out a content sigh. "So…," Hannah trailed off, glancing out the window as she took a bite of her sandwich, "Why are we heading to Xenotime, exactly?"

I didn't respond right away.

The day Hannah started traveling with me was a curse and a blessing, however cliché the statement might seem. She asked me, while I was visiting her in between jobs, where I had been before and where I was going next. My response had been dramatic and yet at the same time, an honest reply. "I've been all over Amestris, sometimes even further," I had told her. She asked me why, to which I explained that it was for the sake of photography and journalism.

She didn't need to know the truth.

With a small shrug, I turned my attention back to the present. "An Alchemist is trying to save the town with his research. Doctor Mugear," I explained with vague detail. Looking out the window, I rest my chin on my palm as I muttered, "I wonder how much longer we have to go."

Hannah didn't have the answer, but from the left of our booth, I heard, "To Xenotime, right?" We both looked in the direction of the voice.

There was a boy standing in the isle; he looked our age, though the muscles and callouses told me he wasn't a usual teenager. He sent us polite smiles, shiny black hair gelled back behind his head. He had slanted green eyes, a long nose, full lips – and I could hear Hannah sighing in infatuation across from me. "Er, yeah," I nodded to him, ignoring her reaction to the boy.

"There are two hours left," He told us in a kind tone. Motioning to the booth, he shifted his eyes between Hannah and I before asking, "May I sit with you? I was kicked out of my booth, and there are no empty ones left on the train."

"Of course!" Hannah replied quickly, sitting straighter to appear proper and posh, just as Mama Hannah taught her.

He smiled at her and as he lowered himself onto the seat, I glared Hannah's way. She returned the gesture with a quick scoff before looking back to the boy with a smile. He situated himself before glancing to the bags beside me in the booth. "Packing light, are we?" He questioned with amusement, eyeing Hannah's large, yellow garbage-bag sized purse in particular.

Looking toward Hannah, I couldn't control my grin. "Yeah, real light."

My friend glared at me and the subject was dropped after a few more laughs. He shifted, asking, "I didn't introduce myself, did I?" At the enthusiastic shake of Hannah's head, he introduced himself. "I'm Daisuke Kuroda. It's nice meeting you both," He spoke, holding out his hand for either of us to take.

Hannah jumped at the opportunity. She shook hands with him, smiling as she said, "I'm Hannah, and that's Riley. It's nice to meet you, too." She turned her gaze toward me, nodding her head in Daisuke's direction. "Isn't it nice meeting him?" I gave a small pause before shoving the rest of my sandwich into my mouth. Hannah grimaced before thrusting her leg forward to kick me in the shin. "Disgusting," She whispered under her breath as I groaned, caressing my knee.

Daisuke only chuckled. He looked toward me, holding his hands together in his lap. "I heard you two took down some thugs? It's amazing – I didn't even know the train had been hijacked," He commented, smiling, "Glad you ladies were here." I stared at him, trying to assess what he was up to. No one just said, 'glad you were here,' after you stopped a crime. They got angry. It usually sounded more like, 'you ruined my property!' Or, 'that's my husband - what the hell are you doing in my house?'

I try not to think too much about that last one.

"Where are you headed?" I asked him rather bluntly, resting my elbow on the window sill.

"Xenotime," He nodded, "I'm going to visit my grandfather."

"That's so sweet!" Hannah cooed, twisting her torso to face him better. I kept quiet after that, finding nothing in the conversation worthy of interest. Counting trees was more fun.

. . .

"Xenotime! The city of...-" Looking around, I took mental note of the arid atmosphere that surrounded us as we stepped off the train. "-Heat. And gold, and.. Stuff."

Hannah eyed me with annoyance before turning on her heel to smile up at our fortunately-temporary companion, Daisuke. "It was really nice talking with you. Take care," She told him.

Daisuke ducked his head in a deep nod. "You too," He told her. The yells of his name echoed above the crowd and he found his group of friends waiting for him across the road. "I'll see you around!" He called to us as he ran toward them.

"Hannah!"

The girl turned, spotting me on top of a waist-high brick wall that led the way into town. I wove my hands about, shrugging as I watched her impatiently. She rolled her eyes and upon making her way toward me, she said, "So can we get a hotel before we do anything? I want a shower."

We began our journey into Xenotime, which was not as great as I'd expected it to be. The sun scorched the land, which was dry and cracked, and I was pretty sure everyone we passed was a serial killer. I kept these thoughts to myself, considering that wasn't the sort of thing you share when sight-seeing."Not just yet," I answered my friend with the shake of my head, "I want to scope out this doctor's place before I talk with him."

"Alright," She replied, stopping once we reached the end of the wall. I jumped off it, landing roughly in front of her. With crossed arms, she asked me, "Where's his place?"

We shared another moment of silence as my mouth inched open. I wove a hand around as if I was explaining something, but no sound came out. Inhaling a deep breath, I started over. "Well, it's... Here!" I exclaimed, smiling bright as I opened my hands and held my palms toward Hannah, "In Xenotime!"

Pursing her lips, Hannah turned and strutted away.

"W-Wait a minute, I know where he lives!" I exclaimed, watching her leave. "I wouldn't bring us all the way out here without... Knowing.. That. I'm not..." Realizing it was a lost cause, my shoulders dropped and I tilted my stance, muttering, "Okay."

It was up to me, then. My friend had left me in search of greener pastures – or at least, in this case, a bathtub and a hotel room.

A bathtub with running water. And a cooler hotel room. With a bed, probably. A bed with pillows. And a mattress. Beds usually have mattresses.

"H-Hannah!"

. . .

"This was a much better idea than mine."

Hannah nodded in agreement as she stretched out on the second bed in the room. Staring up at the ceiling, she said, "Yeah, let's not listen to you anymore."

"Okay," I nodded, too blissful to really care much about what she'd said. The rooms weren't much cooler than outside, but the beds were soft, and neither of us had been in something that comfortable in over a week, so we weren't going to complain.

"Oh!"

I looked toward Hannah as she pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and rolled a few times until she reached the edge of her bed. She held out the paper toward me and with much gusto, I rolled to the edge of my own bed and plucked it from her grip. "I asked someone for directions to your doctor's place. The housekeeper told me the Elric brothers are working with him! Do you think we'll meet them?"

"Who knows?" I unfolded the paper and scanned the address, along with the scribbling of directions and an added map. "This is great!" I held up the paper toward the ceiling, reading over the words. After a few seconds, I lowered my arms, letting the paper rest on my stomach. "Let's wait a day or two," I grumbled.

"As tempting as that is, you have to work," Hannah reminded me. Sighing, I listened to the reluctant voice of reason and pushed myself up. I pulled my gloves and my notepad from my bag in the corner of the room, and the two of us left, only to find a familiar face in the lobby.

"Daisuke!" Hannah greeted, beaming.

He turned and smiled to us. "Oh, hello. It would make sense to run into each other again - this is the only inn in town."

"Why not stay with that grandfather you were visiting?" I asked, not hiding the blunt suspicion in my voice.

He gave a small laugh. "There's no room, and I don't want to inconvenience him."

"Right," I murmured, "Well, we really need to get going."

"Where are you headed?"

Before I could refuse the question, Hannah replied. "We're going to see Doctor Mugear. Riley's interviewing him."

"You're a journalist?" He asked me. I merely shrugged. As Hannah nudged and glared, Daisuke kept to his stupid smiling face. "Why don't I give you a ride?" He offered, pointing to the window with a thumb. We looked out to see a car waiting at the sidewalk.

Damn it.

. . .

By the time we arrived, the sun wasn't far from setting. Doctor Mugear's place was large. Walls guarded the building, and officers guarded the wall. Hannah hummed, stepping up to my side. "Are we going to be able to get inside?" She asked, eyes running up the walls which stood at least twice our height.

"Of course we will! Don't worry!" I exclaimed, waving her off. I turned and nodded to Daisuke, who still sat in the car. "Uh, thanks for the ride."

"No problem. Do you want me to stick around?"

"That's not necessary."

For the first time since we'd met the stranger, he let a subtle frown sneak through. "It's going to get dark soon... I don't mind. I'll wait."

I gave up trying to argue with him (he was right, even if I didn't want to admit it) as I took long strides toward the gate entrance, my camera hanging at my neck. I reached the gate entrance and held up a press pass I'd received in Central. I flashed it for just a moment, not allowing the guards time to examine it. Putting the pass away, I told them with a deep frown and a confident tone, "I'm here for my interview with Doctor Mugear."

"He has an interview?" One man whispered to the other.

The second shrugged, "How the hell should I know? They don't tell me anything."

I sighed. "Are you letting us in or not?"

The first rose a hand and turned, "Alright, alright, go on in."

Hannah and I walked through the gates, Hannah gripping the back of my shirt and radiating anxiety as we climbed the front steps and approached the door. After three loud knocks, I tugged at my gloves and gripped my notebook tighter as I looked around the yard. The lot was large, and the house was several stories high.

At the sound of footsteps, Hannah and I stood straighter. The door opened to an armed guard - was that really necessary? - who nodded to us and stepped aside. The radio at his help told me the men at the gate must have let him know we were coming, so we stepped inside and waited. The guard turned, leading us down a hall and into a living room toward the back of the first floor. No words were exchanged as we stepped into the room, and he shut the door before we could ask any questions. I turned to face three love-seats, portraits on the walls, two windows, and a fireplace with a gate over it.

"That was... Strange," Hannah said, watching the door with mild concern.

"Maybe the guards are for wildlife?" I offered, trying to calm her nerves. Regardless of what I said, I sat at the edge of the nearest couch to the window, readying myself for anything.

Hannah sat beside me. "Maybe you're full of it," She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Our wait didn't last much longer. The door swung open and Mugear came rushing in. He straightened his lab coat as he stepped around a couch, and lifted a hand when we stood to greet him. "Ladies!" He exclaimed before clearing his throat and shaking my hand, "I'm Mugear. And you must be Riley Mauler?"

I nodded. "I am. This is my assistant, Hannah." Hannah smiled, shaking his hand. "Is there a security issue?" I asked, glancing to the doorway.

Mugear stepped to the side, waving a hand as he laughed. "Oh, them? Hah! No, no. When you're doing research as important as I am, it helps to have some... Authority at the door. You understand."

"I see."

The three of us sat down, and Mugear chuckled to himself. "When you called, Miss Mauler, I admit I was a bit nervous. You write for Central newspapers, you say?"

"The Daily," I lied, "We're very interested in your research, Doctor Mugear."

Mugear beamed. "Not to ring my own bell, but as well you should be! I plan to put Xenotime back on the map for gold resources. This could save the whole town."

"That sounds wonderful," Hannah interjected. The weariness began to ebb away as her expression turned curious.

I nodded in agreement. "You say you're going to do this with a Philosopher's Stone. What is that, exactly?"

"You want the history of the stone, do you? Very well!"

. . .

"It all sounds so surreal."

The interview was reaching the end of its time, several minutes having gone by since we first arrived. Mugear had delved into an eager story about the history of the Philosopher's Stone, and the origins of his education and interests. It was all very... Unhelpful, especially with the twisted lies that seemed to hide behind many of Mugear's answers.

"How close are you to a final product?" Hannah questioned. Poor Hannah. She thought I was honestly interested. She thought he was honestly helping. She was going to be so bummed.

"Extremely." Mugear's face was set in stone, his voice confident. "We'll be prosperous very soon."

I leaned forward a little, hoping for a truthful answer to one of the more important questions. "How much you can tell me about what's gone into creating the stone so far?"

Mugear sat straighter, and shook his head. "Well it's largely confidential at this stage, everything still being experimental and all - but I think I can give you a... Suitable explanation for your newspaper."

It was this point that a guard appeared in the doorway. "Doctor, you need to come with us."

We all turned to face him, and Mugear visibly scoffed. "What's the meaning of this? I told you not to interrupt-"

"There's been a breach, Sir," The guard said, his tone gruff. Mugear grunted, and faced us with tense civility. "I apologize, but I have to cut this short."

"But the interview-"

"Is cut short, Miss Mauler. Stop by tomorrow afternoon and we can pick up where we left off." Mugear turned and left the room.

Hannah let out a dejected sigh, and just as we left the living room, there was a loud crash on the opposite end of the building. Hannah jumped, reaching for my arm, and I watched over my shoulder as we passed the main hallway. I got a brief glimpse of a broken window, and two boys standing before Mugear. They were fair skinned, light haired, nervous as hell, and more importantly, not the Elric brothers. A guard blocked my sight, so I nudged Hannah and sped up our pace to the door. "Riley?" She whispered, taking note of my quiet demeanor.

The second we were outside, and after I noticed the gates were no longer guarded as everyone's attention was on Mugear's lab, I made a run for Daisuke's car. He was waiting with a panicked expression as we climbed in, Hannah in back. "What's going on?"

"Go that way," I told him, pointing down the road.

"What?"

"Go!"

Sighing out of frustration, Daisuke started the car and jerked the steering wheel. We drove down the road, Hannah continuing to ask questions I didn't answer. It took only a minute or two to find what I was looking for. There was a suit of armor on the ground, and a blond boy putting the head back on it. They turned when they heard the car, ready to fight their way out, and they didn't ease up when I made Daisuke stop beside them.

Hannah looked to them, then the fence. A quick calculation in her mind led her to a small gasp of air and the exclamation, "You're the ones who broke into the lab!"

"I think you're mistaken, Miss," The boy said with nervous laughter, "We're just simple travelers, right, Al?"

The one in the armor looked up, still trying to adjust his helmet, and gave a small hum. "Uh, right," He - Al - nodded.

At the sound of rushed footsteps and the shifting of weapons, they perked up. I nodded to them, and motioned to the car. "Get in."

"What?" The unison of the people in the car, and the two on the street, was loud enough to make me wince.

"Just get in, idiots!"

"Hey, I'm not goi-"

"GET IN!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Elementary, My Dear_

The ride to the hotel was unnervingly quiet. We were all tense, unsure of who should speak first, or if anyone even should. Hannah sat in the front with Daisuke, whereas I was squished in the backseat. Daisuke glanced to us in his rear-view mirror every few seconds, while Hannah kept her eyes glued to the road. I faced the scenery through the window, but focused on the reflection of the two odd strangers beside me. They looked to each other with silent questions, and the blonde kept his hand on the door handle, ready to jump free at a moment's notice.

Were these the real Elric brothers? I mean, I knew of their descriptions - the auto-mail and the suit of armor - but I was expecting something… More intimidating, maybe.

"So," I spoke up, clapping my hands in my lap. "Nice to meet you two."

"Who are you people?" The voice that echoed out of the suit of armor was much softer than any of us were expecting.

"Riley," Hannah called.

I avoided looking to her, instead smiling at the brothers like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. They watched us with no shortage of suspicion, which I don't suppose I could have blamed them for. "That's my name. Riley. My friend here is Hannah." I waved to our unassuming driver, adding, "He's not important."

Hannah twisted her torso around to glare at me. "Riley!"

"Are you staying at the inn? That's where we're staying. We can drop you off."

The girl extended her arm around her seat and reached out, trying to hit me anywhere she could. I lifted my knees up to block her, and tried slapping her arm away. "Sto- Stop- Hannah! Stop it!"

Panting, she spun back around to face forward. She looked over at Daisuke and saw large eyes and white knuckles. "Is this a felony?" He whispered, "Oh God, I'm going to be arrested."

"You're not going to be arrested," I replied with a scoff.

Hannah's head tilted until she could see me out of the corner of her eyes. "And how do you know that?"

I 'bah'ed and shook my head. "The same way I know Mugear's a no good criminal." Crossing my arms over my chest, I looked to the brothers and said, "You're the Elric brothers."

Everyone braced themselves when the car came to an abrupt stop. Daisuke was petrified in his place behind the wheel, and the brother who I assumed was Ed watched me very closely. I could see a faint outline of a smirk on his face, as if he was challenging me to a confrontation. "That's pretty observant of you," He commented.

Digging into my pocket, I flashed my press pass, the insignia of the Amestris military printed over my identification. With a smirk of my own, I said, "I wouldn't be good at my job if I wasn't."

The brothers' demeanor changed at the sight of my ID. Small gasps left them, and I spotted Ed's hand leave the car door. "You're a journalist…," Al mumbled.

"You're investigating Mugear?" Ed asked me.

"I was, until you interrupted my interview with that stunt of yours!" I argued, leaning forward to scowl at the boy on the other side of Al. Breathing deeply, Daisuke focused on calming himself and began to drive once more.

A little taken back by my accusation, Ed frowned. "Hey… We're on important business here!"

Pursing my lips, I grumbled, "Is that what you were doing in the bushes then? 'Important business'?"

"Why you-!"

"What about your imposters?" I asked him, my eyes curious.

Irritated by the interruption, he started to fuss again. "Don't just cut me off like that! I-"

"You got out of there pretty easy considering the imposters are skilled. They must be, if they've managed to pose as you. Which means they're helping, right?" Ed blinked a few times in small surprise. "So what's going to happen to them?"

Frowning once more, he asked me, "Do you always ask so many questions?"

"Do you always answer so few?"

"You're really starting to get on my nerves, you know that?"

I shrugged. "Doesn't hurt my feelings any."

"Enough!" Hannah yelled. "What is going on here?!"

We all looked to her, a bit surprised by the outburst. "That's what I've been trying to figure out, Hannah. Keep up," I teased, smirking.

She glared at me, so I quieted down, and she turned to the brothers. She offered them a polite smile, and said, "It's nice to meet you, but I would really like to have some answers. What's all this talk about impostors, and criminals?"

Ed's expression softened in contrast to his demeanor toward me. I would have been offended if it were anyone but Hannah. The girl had major puppy eyes. "Two brothers came to town telling people they were us in order to work with Mugear. You know about his research?" She nodded, and he continued, "The red water he's using is dangerous. Mugear's not concerned with the people of this town at all."

"So that's where we found you? You were confronting the fake Elrics?" He nodded in response to her question, and she turned to face the road again. The car fell silent, save for Daisuke mumbling about the mess he'd been thrown into.

. . .

Walking into our hotel room, I tossed my belongings onto my bed as Hannah made herself comfortable on the couch by the wall. I pulled a change of clothes out of the bag we left in the room and glanced toward the girl. She stared down at her lap in deep thought, playing with the ends of her shirt.

"Everything okay?" She looked up at me and nodded, but it was unconvincing to the both of us. I kicked off my clothes and slipped on my pajamas as I walked toward the couch, then plopped down beside her. "What's up?"

"Mugear, and the red water…," She began, "Did you know about it before we met the brothers?"

After a small pause, I started rubbing the back of my neck. I always tried to keep a clear line between Hannah and my work, but sometimes that was hard to do. Times like this, where she'd learned just enough of the truth to start asking questions. Handing Hannah her pajamas, I finally told her, "I didn't know about the danger of red water, at least not to that extent." Seeing the concern of her face, I added, "Don't worry. I'm helping them finish this tomorrow, and it won't be able to hurt anyone anymore. Plus, you can stay in the hotel if you want."

The glare she shot me was insulted more than anything. "You think I would just let you do this on your own like that? No way!" She stood from the couch to change, walking toward the bathroom and calling from over her shoulder, "Now go get us some food."

. . .

"We can take care of this ourselves."

The Elrics stood across from Hannah and myself, several yards from Mugear's estate. We'd met them there at that spot, our agreed upon destination. The plan to infiltrate the place and help the Tringham brothers was simple enough, but Beansprout McShorterson had been acting like we were going to war ever since he arrived. He was trying to talk us out of helping, and he was going to learn very soon that I always get what I want, one way or another.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I nodded. "I'm sure you can."

"Then you'll go back to your hotel?" I shook my head, and he twitched.

"We don't need your help."

Snorting, I said, "Who cares about you? This is about what I need."

"What you need?" Alphonse repeated.

I almost jumped at the sound, still not used to hearing that childlike voice come from such a large person. I brushed this off and nodded, looking between them. "I came here to get a story, and I'm not leaving without one. So either we coordinate our efforts and work together, or you can just cross your fingers that I don't get in your way at the worst time possible. And trust me," I paused to narrow my eyes at Ed, "My timing is notorious for being awful."

He leaned forward, gritting his teeth. "Is that a threat?"

I looked away, waving him off. "It's a simple fact, Ed-o, so what's it going to be?" The brothers both let out long sighs, looking to one another with a reluctant agreement.

. . .

The front door to Mugear's estate opened to a guard staring down at Hannah and me. He nodded after recognizing my press pass, and stepped aside to let us in. We were led to the same room as before, and we sat in the same positions on the same couch. And Hannah was a wreck. She fidgeted with her clothes, darted her eyes around, and jumped at every noise. She looked more dodgy than a thief on the streets of Central City.

"Calm down. You're going to let him know something's up," I muttered toward her.

Frowning, she squeezed her hands under her arms and said, "I'm sorry. I'm not used to this."

I shrugged, commenting, "It's not like it's the first time we've done something like this."

Her head snapped in my direction. "What?"

"Ah! Miss Mauler!" Mugear exclaimed, entering the room.

I stood with a polite smile, and Hannah kept her eyes glued to me, whispering, "Riley? When have we done something like this before?" I waved toward her and she stood to her feet, wiping the look off her face and smiling at Mugear.

"Ready for the rest of that interview?" I asked him, shaking the hand he extended to me.

"Why, of course," He answered with a nod. "Where did we leave off?"

"We were discussing what had gone into creating the stone so far," Hannah piped up. When we turned to her, she blushed and slouched into herself. "I just… Remembered… Well."

Mugear chuckled. "You have quite the helpful assistant, Miss Mauler. I could use someone like you in my lab, dear."

She stiffened further. Trying to force awkward laughter, she shook her head. "Y- You flatter me, Sir."

He began to speak again, when a guard entered the room. Mugear looked to him with an irritation similar to the previous night, waiting for the guard's excuse. "The Elric brothers are here, Sir."

"So the rumors are true? You're working with the Elrics?" I questioned him.

Nodding, Mugear stood from his seat on the couch. "That I am! I apologize for the continued intrusions, but I really need to speak with my colleagues, if you don't mind."

I nodded, saying, "Of course, of course." He left the room and I caught a peek through the door as he left - a single guard was stationed outside the room. Easy enough. I stood and neared the door, motioning to Hannah to stay there. She watched as I cracked the door open, and the guard turned when he heard the creaking. I smiled as innocently as I could manage. "Hello! May I talk to you about your employer?"

"I don't think I'm authorized to talk about his work."

Shaking my head, I gestured him into the room. "Oh, no, I want to talk about Mugear himself, not his work. I need some back-story to write this article, you see." He shifted back and forth on his feet, uncomfortable under the pressure. After some internal debate, he sighed and stepped into the room. I peered out into the hall before shutting the door, trying to spot anyone else nearby.

With the door shut, I turned, grabbed the nearest statue I could pick up, and swung. The impact left a thud and an imprint on the back of the guard's head, and he crumpled to the floor. Hannah gasped, jumping back to avoid his landing. "Is he dead?"

I shrugged and tossed the statue to the floor. "Maybe," I answered, picking him up by the arms and dragging him to a corner of the room.

Hannah's jaw dropped, and she huffed. Walking back to the door and pulling it open, I took another peak into the hall. We needed to get to the lab without being seen if this plan was going to work, which meant quiet and patie- "Maybe? You maybe killed him? Riley!"

I turned, staring at her in incredulity. "He's working with Mugear!"

"Working _for_ Mugear! He might have a family!"

"I don't have time to argue ethics right now, Hannah!"


	3. Chapter 3

_The Blue Forest_

Mugear's lab was on the opposite side of the building, making our stealthy journey there more complicated than planned. Since yesterday, more guards had been assigned, which meant fewer safe corners for us to hide. With enough patience, however, Hannah and I eventually found ourselves in the middle of the sterile room. Tables lined the walls, papers covered the tables, and a series of reddening plants sat by the window. There were two sets of double doors, one on the west wall and one on the south.

"Find as many stones as you can," I told Hannah as I approached the closest table, sifting through papers. Hannah began going through cabinets and drawers. She lifted every red stone fragment she could find, gathering them into a bag. We would destroy as many stones as possible while Ed and Al freed their imposters, the Tringham boys. Mugear was distracted in another room, waiting for Ed, so we were all free to go about our business, so long as we moved fast.

While Hannah worked, I read research papers. It wasn't part of the plan, no, but the papers were just sitting there, talking about alchemy and red water and the Philosopher's Stone. What was I supposed to do? Ignore it and work?

"Riley!"

I jumped. "Alrght, alright!" Shoving a folder under my arm, I started digging for stones alongside Hannah.

. . .

"I think that's everything," She mumbled, dropping her last handful into the bag. She handed it to me, and I tied it close as I neared a work table. I pushed several papers aside and pulled a piece of chalk from my pocket. Drawing a circle on the table surface, I worked swiftly but precise. When it was a complete symbol, I placed the bag in the middle of it, clapped my hands together, and-

The doors on the west wall burst open. Mugear stood in the doorway, holding a spherical contraption in his hands. Red water sloshed about inside it, and he held a stone over the cone attached at the top of the sphere. What looked like the barrel of a gun pointed at us from the side of it.

Have I mentioned before how my timing is awful? I feel that needs to be repeated.

"Get away from my research!" He yelled, dropping the stone into the gun.

I slammed my hands onto the table but instead of destroying the stones as per the original plan, my alchemy solidified them. They expanded and morphed into the shape of a barricade, blocking the projectiles that shot from Mugear's gun. "You okay?" I asked, looking behind me to Hannah. With her back pressed to the wall and her eyes wide, she took in a deep breath before nodding her head.

"I knew you were suspicious the minute I saw you! You're no ordinary journalist from Central City!"

I glared at the barricade as if it would seep through and affect him. "And you're no scientist with a heart of gold!"

Another shot from Mugear, this one more powerful than the last. I had made the barricade in a split second decision to change my transmutation, which had left the application shaky. I could hear it cracking under the stress of gunfire and at that point, I was just glad we found most of the stones. With the supply that was stashed away in here, he could have brought the whole place down. I jumped back from my dying barricade and dodged with little time to spare, as the barricade crumbled and bullets flew over the rubble.

All I had to shield me was that rubble, however. I lowered toward the ground, arms over my head, waiting for him to exhaust his supply. The shooting itself never let up but after a few seconds, it became muffled under loud shifting. I looked up and spotted a low standing wall behind me, emerging from the floor where it once didn't exist. The source of this new alchemy was standing in the doorways on the south.

Ed smirked at me as he stood to his feet. "What's going on here, Mugear?"

The man glared at him. "I should have known you were working together! No matter. I have enough stones here to end all of you," He yelled in anger, feeding his gun. I ran to the end of the room, waving toward Hannah and a nearby pillar. The message was simple enough, and she listened to it, ducking behind the architecture, where I joined her. Ed and Al had turned another direction, but found themselves in the same predicament as us, their pillar even closer to Mugear than ours.

Finally, he ran out of ammo. I stepped out to watch him dig through his pocket for more stones, when vines wrapped around his arms. They pulled him up, releasing the gun from his grasp, and trapped him in place. My line of sight followed this greenery to the door, where the blondes I spotted the night before sat by a potted plant. The fake Elrics, I assumed.

"Now's our chance, Al!" Hannah and I looked toward the sound. Together, Ed and Al pushed all of their weight into the pillar they used for cover. The structure of it had weakened enough for this to be doable, and the pillar toppled over. Mugear's frantic yelling was the last thing I heard from him as it landed in a cloud of dust.

The boys relaxed, walking toward the middle of the room, and I noticed Hannah's lips turn upward into a relieved smile. Motioning to the pillar, I pouted in her direction. "I knock a guy out and you want to kick my ass, but they kill someone and you're ready to celebrate," I muttered.

"What was that?" She asked, turning to me with an innocent spark in her eye that was anything but genuine innocence.

"Nothing," I mumbled, shaking my head. We approached the four, who were in the middle of a conversation of their own. As we neared them, Al shifted and pointed to a gaping hole in the floor. Underneath the broken boards and rubble was a staircase, leading further underground.

"A secret passage? Come on, guys."

The older Tringham brother retrieved masks from a drawer and handed them out to everyone but Al. As everyone pulled them on, I stuffed the folder I'd been reading earlier into my jacket. That information could be useful in the future, and I had a feeling I wasn't going to get the time to investigate the whole lab when we were done.

. . .

"Mugear blocked our path." Russel's voice was almost drowned out by the echoes of the rushing water in the faint distance. We stood in front of a stone wall, unable to go around. I had no idea how far we were from where we started, but it felt like we ran for miles. Or at least one. Maybe half. God, I need to exercise.

Ed wasn't giving up over something as trivial as this. "He forgot who he's dealing with," He said, clapping his hands.

The wall was destroyed, opening up sight to Mugear waiting for us on the other side, a cannon at the ready. We yelled in shock, everyone dodging to one side of the wall or the other. The blast flew by us and hit the ground several yards back, shaking the structure of the tunnels. "Careful, Ed! This place can't take shocks like that!" I yelled out.

"I didn't do it - he did!"

Mugear's voice interrupted our bickering. "I'll never surrender the spring! As long as I have the red water, nothing can stop me! Least of all, a diminutive state alchemist and his worthless friends!"

Ed stepped out into the path, staring him down the barrel of his cannon. Russel and Al called for him to move, but he ignored them. "Diminutive state alchemist? Points for the big word, but you're still going down!" He clapped once more and knelt to the ground. The wall began to rebuild, and just in time too - Mugear shot his cannon again, and as we all braced for impact, the wall was hit. The wall crumbled back to the ground, and debris flew backward, knocking Mugear and his cannon into the air. Ed stepped forward. "See now? Even with your stones, I'm on a whole other level."

The shaking grew more concerning, and everyone stopped to take note of it. My eyes widened as visuals of us all getting crushed to death flashed in my mind's eye. "I told you it couldn't take that sort of force! We're caving in!"

"She's right, Ed! We need to get out of here!" Russel chimed in, stepping back toward his younger brother.

"I'm never giving up my stones!" Mugear yelled, even more manic than he was upstairs. The sound of rock shifting caught his attention, and he looked up to find a boulder break loose from the cave ceiling. Gravity did the rest of the work, and we had no other option but turn and run back.

. . .

Emerging at the top of a hill near Mugear's, we could easily find where the caves had been located. Red water seeped out of the rock behind the estate, pooling together at the lower points of the formation. Ed raised a large rock wall around the perimter, and the red water formed a deep moat. "Now we just need to find a drain," Ed muttered, standing up.

I looked to the rest of town, spotting the mines at the edge. "Maybe we could tap into a mine they don't use anymore," I suggested.

Ed looked like was considering my words when the youngest Tringham took off. He slid down a small hill and stopped in front of a tree, where he began drawing with his chalk. The symbol he finished was one I could have sworn I'd seen before, and he placed his hands atop it, bringing forth a light green glow.

All the trees around us began to change color, red and orange seeping into the browns and greens of the usual plantlife. A little surprised but very impressed, I commented on it. "Amazing. They're absorbing the red water."

Recognition in his tone, Al said, "I saw something like this back in the lab."

Ed nodded and replied, "That's right. They were detoxifying the red water with plants." Russel joined his brother at the tree, and we watched the cycle continue. Once the trees were soaked in red water, a sheet of ice covered over it. The blue forest then shattered, and ice flurries floated through the air, soon to melt and absorb back into the earth. True cycle of life, I suppose.

. . .

The sun was beginning to set over Xenotime. After everything happened with Mugear, we slipped away to return to our hotel room. Now Hannah and I were on a train bound for East City, and we were in the process of finding a place to sit. Behind me, Hannah was still bouncing from the adrenaline. "This made for the perfect article!" She told me, moving the strap of her purse higher up her shoulder. "I can't wait to read it."

"Yeah, me neither," I mumbled.

"Riley? Are you alrigh-"

"I'm serious! Hey, why is that funny?" The familiar voice pulled Hannah from her questioning, and we both turned to see Ed and Al in a booth not far away. They looked out the open window, talking to the Tringham brothers and a little girl about Fletcher's age.

Smiling, I bounced over to them. "Well look who we have here."

They turned to face us. "Riley, Hannah," Al greeted, "You're leaving too?"

Hannah nodded as I replied, "I think I got more than enough for one article." Without waiting for a possible invitation, I sat down by the isle. Hannah joined me, and the brothers went back to their conversation with the others. As I dropped my bag to the floor and positioned it under the booth, I spotted a familiar face on the other end of the train car. "Hannah… Isn't that Daisuke?"

My friend turned and spotted him. Nodding, she said, "He must be done visiting family." She stood and headed over to him, ignoring my calls for her to stop.

The train started moving, and I huffed upon seeing her sit down across from him in his booth. I decided to turn my attention to the Elrics, sitting up a bit and asking, "So, Ed. Any new plans regarding the Philosopher's Stone?"

My words put them on edge. Expression hardened, Ed asked me, "How'd you know about that?"

I brushed it off, leaning against the back of the booth. "Why else would you come to Xenotime in the first place? The side effect of red water isn't exactly on the military's map."

"Is that why they send a journalist to snoop around? For something not on the military's map?" He retorted. He smirked, as though he'd managed to trip me up finally.

Scoffing, I replied, "This was a free assignment. I wanted to come here."

"Why?"

He watched me very closely, waiting for any kind of tell that might show through on my face. After a moment, I smiled bright and said, "The fruit!"

"The… Fruit?"

I nodded. "I hear they're almost as good as Goto Apples! Goto has the freshest product on the market. That's a serious claim to live up to, you know," I rambled off, shaking my head and waving my hands around for emphasis as I spoke, "So I found the first story worth writing about in Xenotime and Mugear was it. Now I have free transportation and I can write off the crate of apples I bought as a work expense!"

They stared at me with dull expressions as I laughed, but Ed spoke up again, his serious tone cutting through the light-hearted atmosphere. "You're an alchemist. I saw it back at Mugear's - you used the stones to create a barricade." Narrowing his eyes, he said, "I don't know of many journalists with that kind of skill."

I knew Ed would have questions like these, but the suspicion was more intense than I expected. "Alex Armstrong likes to draw. We all have our hobbies, short-stuff."

"You're-" The boy stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening and face flushing. Even from the other end of the train, Hannah and Daisuke could hear the explosion.

"**Who are you calling short**?!"


	4. Chapter 4

_You Blinked_

"Did it get bigger while we were gone?"

"Maybe we got smaller," I mumbled.

Hannah hummed, staring up at the banner that marked East City's Headquarters. The large building and its inhabitants never stopped intimidating her. It took her months to walk inside after she joined me in my travels, and sometimes she still hesitated before following me through the doors.

I could tell something was different the minute we walked in. There were more people about in the hallways, and they looked more on edge than normal. Glancing toward Hannah, it was easy to see she noticed it as well. We didn't stop to ask anyone about the new gloom in the building, deciding it was best to go on our way for now. I walked past the hall leading to both my superior's office and the printing room, and Hannah slowed in confusion. "Isn't your office that way?"

Stopping to turn to her, I shrugged and glanced to where she was pointing. "Yes…?"

"Then where are you going?"

"I'm getting lunch."

She frowned, still pointing to the hall behind us. "Don't you need to get your article printed soon?"

My stare remained. "I don't see the connection."

Sighing, Hannah shook her head and began walking, so we continued on to the mess hall.

We came to an abrupt stop when we entered a room packed with soldiers. The chains of pocket watches hung from several uniforms, the light above bouncing off all of them. There was a clear divide in the occupants of the room, with state alchemists lining tables on the right, and East City's regular soldiers to the left, watching them with brazen curiosity. There wasn't a single spot open to sit and eat, but that never stopped me before. I grabbed Hannah's hand and guided her between tables to get to the food line.

"Why are so many state alchemists here?" Hannah whispered to me once we arrived at the other end of the room.

We grabbed trays and began our gathering of food. I glanced over my shoulder at the people in question - based on the few faces I could recognize from the newcomers, they were from Central. Nothing was going on in East City that would warrant such a large group, so whatever their reason was, it had to do with our main Command Center. I had a guess or two about what that reason could be, but I didn't need to frighten Hannah with bad news. "Maybe they heard East City has better pudding," I suggest, picking up a small bowl.

"They didn't come here for the pudding," Hannah muttered.

Looking back at her as I grabbed a final plate to place on my tray, I argued, "It's the only reason I come here."

She grumbled something under her breath, no doubt about my annoyances, and turned to face everyone. The seating situation hadn't changed, and her shoulders dropped in defeat. "No one left."

I dismissed her concern with a wave of my hand. After some quick spying, I approached a table toward the entrance. I stood beside the youngest officers I could find, and waited there until they looked up at me. Grinning at them, I said, "Wow. If I pulled that kind of stunt you two did, I would have hidden under a rock for a week. You've got guts, being out where the Colonel can find you."

Their initial confusion became mixed with deep fear. "S-Stunt?" One of them asked, "What stunt? We didn't- Oh God." Their eyes widened as some sort of realization hit them, and they stumbled out of their seats, running for the door.

I sat down where they once were and spotted a bowl of pudding on one of their trays. I picked it up, examining it before I dropped it onto my tray. Hannah sat across from me, watching them leave with an odd mix of guilt and amusement. "What if they hadn't done anything wrong?"

Scoffing, I bit into my sandwich. "New guys always do something wrong."

"That's cynical."

"That's realistic," I corrected, nodding toward the other abandoned tray, "Hand me his pudding."

. . .

I wasn't the only one who worked on the militia's newspaper. There was a small, dedicated team of us in each headquarters, working together to create a unified newspaper that was distributed between all locations. Most of the members of this private press were officers with desk jobs that allowed them time to work on the paper daily, but some of them - like myself - went out into the field and brought back one big article every week or so.

My article would be going out with the next day's paper, and a mock-up was being printed that evening. This took some time to do, so Hannah left after about an hour of waiting around, which left me to my own devices for the rest of the night.

I was leaning the top of my chair against a wall when I heard the door to the office open, and I smiled when I spotted a familiar face. "Hughes!" I greeted, lifting a hand to alert him to my spot.

The man navigated the crammed office and sat at the edge of my desk once he reached me. He grinned, saying, "Riley! I heard you were back and I thought I'd come say hello."

I looked up at him with nothing but curiosity. "And I heard the Fuhrer was here in East City, not long after that last attack out in Central. Want to comment on that, new Lieutenant Colonel?" I asked, quirking a brow.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Roy tells me you finally met Ed."

So Ed was here. Though we arrived together, we parted ways once we hit the train station. I hadn't heard anything yet, but then again, I'd been holed up in the press office. Knowing he already reported in, I couldn't help but wonder what was said about me. I couldn't imagine he would have held back his questions. Shrugging and tuning back into the conversation, I replied, "He thinks I lied about why I was in Xenotime."

"You mean he didn't buy the apple story?" Hughes asked, feigning surprise. I was a little offended, considering I had a crate of apples sitting in a hotel room down the street.

"Funny!" Dropping the four legs of my chair to the floor, I rested my elbows on the desk. "I still have to talk to Mustang and find out where he's headed next," I paused to send the man a sly look, "Unless you feel like telling me-"

He rose his hands into the air and interrupted, "You still have to talk to Roy, Riley." As I scoffed and started to play with a pencil, he smirked. "But I have come to give you some interesting news that might give you a head start for the paper… And I would be happy to share it with you in exchange for a simple printing-related payment!" He exclaimed, his face beaming.

Staring at him, I muttered, "I'm not publishing a tribute to your daughter, Hughes."

He laughed and shook his head, shoving pictures back into his pocket, "No no, I was thinking of something much different than that…"

. . .

The parade grounds of East City's headquarters had been turned into an arena. Soldiers gathered around the barricades in anticipation for the big showdown: Roy Mustang versus Edward Elric. Colonel against his Major. Two state alchemists duking it out in a mock battle for their annual assessment. Hannah stood beside me with no idea of what was going on. I explained none of it, as I had spent the last twelve hours putting together the largest monument in mankind dedicated to a toddler, and was too exhausted to hold any sort of discussion.

Simple payment, my ass.

Hughes stood in the center of the arena, microphone in hand, with the aforementioned monument behind him, covered by a curtain. He faced a canopy, where the Fuhrer sat with his closest personnel. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Eastern Command Center Festival, a guaranteed break from that soldier grind! Incidentally, take a look…" He pulled a rope and the curtain was dragged off the monument, revealing the oversized image of Elysia Hughes. The stinging in my fingers returned just at the sight of it, and I lowered to the floor as he yelled, "My daughter, who turned three this year! Isn't she adorable?"

Much to Hannah's surprise, people in the audience began to lob various items at the arena, yelling their complaints. The more that hit the monument, the more it swayed, and it didn't take long for the wall to tip over. I didn't know whether to enjoy Hughes' bad luck, or be annoyed that all my work came crumbling down, but Hughes was clipped in his run to escape its path, so the event was put on a small hold to regain control of the situation.

"Do you know him?" Hannah asked, frowning a little as medics helped Hughes out of the arena. They passed a few other officers, who began clearing the rubble.

"I so wish I didn't sometimes," I mumbled in response. I stood and looked through the crowd, trying to spot familiar faces. "I'll be back in a few minutes, alright?" When Hannah nodded to me, I walked off. After squeezing my way through the crowd, I came upon the person I was looking for.

Roy Mustang stood with Falman and Hawkeye, waiting behind the barricade for events to resume. Seeing me from the corner of her sharpshooter eyes, Hawkeye was the first to notice me. "Riley," She greeted.

This grabbed the attention of the other two, who turned to see my shit-eating grin. Mustang frowned, and I opened my bag, shoving my hand into its depths as I asked, "Care to give a comment about the upcoming battle assessment? I'd like two versions, one for each outcome of the fight, if you don't mind."

"You're late reporting in," He told me.

Instead of retrieving my notepad, I pulled the previous day's newspaper from my bag. Holding it up, I said, "I was busy! I had to write about the assessment and bring in an audience."

He rose a brow, unconvinced. "No one else in the press room could handle it?"

"I had to do it, for your sake. I was the only person there willing to write such flattering things about you," I argued back, holding out the newspaper. As Mustang's expression shifted to flattered surprise, Hawkeye took the paper from me. I crossed my arms, waiting as she read over it.

The woman's lips pulled into a faint frown, and she lowered the paper, looking to me with confusion. "All you've mentioned about the Colonel is his title."

Everyone shot me a pointed look, but I ignored it. Nodding, I explained, "You should have seen what everyone else wanted to call him. I didn't even know some of those words existed."

"The report, Riley," Mustang urged, his brow twitching as he tried restraining himself.

"Alright, alright, it'll be on your desk when you get back," I muttered, walking away from the trio. I headed to the other side of the arena, pushing past more and more officers on the way as the crowd grew larger. This wasn't a surprise, considering the amount of state alchemists in East City at the moment, and the reputation of both competitors. Ed was the youngest person to become a state alchemist, and Mustang was the youngest officer to be promoted to a Colonel position. The parallels with them ran even deeper, but those two facts were enough to make this big news.

Finding the other competitor, I wormed my way up to them from the back, and wound up standing behind Al. "Excuse me," I sang, knocking my knuckle on Al's armor. The boy jumped, and the brothers spun around to find me with a smirk and a wave.

"Ah, the journalist from Xenotime!" Al exclaimed, "Riley… Right?"

I nodded. "Good memory you've got there."

He gave a small laugh as Ed asked me, "What are you doing here? This can't be news."

Pointing my notepad at him, I hummed. "Ah, but it is! I can already think of a few headlines, in fact. Record Holders Go Head to Head! Trial by Combat in Eastern Command! Or a more thought-provoking piece, perhaps? Battle Assessments: Appropriate Tests or Wastes of Money?" Seeing Ed's frown, I cleared my throat, adding, "Probably not the last one. I'm not allowed to do financial pieces. So why challenge Mustang, anyway?"

Ed's face went almost comically dark. He started grumbling, though all I could make out with any clarity was, "Rip that glove right off… Time to teach the pompous jerk a lesson…"

"Right… And that answer's off the record, I'm guessing?" Hearing voices to the right of us, we looked over to find Hughes approaching the arena, bandaged up and ready to go. Smiling, I leaned forward and said, "You didn't hear it from me, but Mustang's got ignition gloves on both hands…" Ed blinked a few times in surprise, but I turned and walked off to find my place beside Hannah. With any luck, that little olive branch would help me out down the line.

. . .

"And now, without further distraction, we move directly to the day's main event! In the red corner, the Flame Alchemist and Hero of the Eastern Rebellion, Colonel Roy Mustang! Give it up!"

Mustang's unimpressed expression was fuel for the crowd who seemed to love to hate him. Boos overwhelmed them, with insults directed at almost every aspect of his identity, from his career to his love life. Falman and Hawkeye stood behind him in respect, indifferent to everyone's reactions. I couldn't help but laugh, earning an embarrassed nudge from Hannah.

"In the blue corner, the FullMetal Alchemist and Living Legend of the People! Let's hear it for Edward Elric!"

While less severe, the reaction from the crowd rang similar for Ed, who was accompanied into the ring by Al and... A kitten? The audience heckled the angry boy, asking where he was, and poking fun at his age and height. Hannah frowned as her sympathy grew, while I remained as amused as ever. From somewhere across the arena, I heard 'bean sprout' uttered, and that was it. Ed tried to lunge at people, yelling profanities and struggling against Al's hold on him. After several minutes of calming him down, the opponents' companions walked out of the ring, leaving Hughes to count down the seconds.

"Alchemists, get set! Ready and fight!"

Hughes dashed out of the arena seconds before Mustang's flames shot across the field. Ed ran from him, dodging into the crowd where he was hidden by the taller officers. It didn't take much for Mustang to locate him, as a simple crack about the boy's height had him jumping above everyone to yell in anger. Mustang's flames extended out to the audience, ruining the barricades and pummeling several people. With a few well-placed tricks and strikes, Ed had gained the element of surprise and ruined one of Mustang's gloves.

My hint didn't seem to help him any. Mustang still managed to get the upper hand by the end of the fight, right up until he froze. It didn't seem that many people noticed, but even at that distance from me, I could see a different expression flash on Mustang's face. Fear? Disgust? Shock? I didn't have time to figure it out. Ed pointed his blade to Mustang's throat, and Mustang snapped back into reality.

The Fuhrer's clapping pulled them apart. "Alright, that's far enough. An excellent fight by two skilled alchemists," He said, approaching them.

Mustang was the first to regain his composure, standing tall and saluting. Briefly, I wondered how much he hated having to do that. "We are honored by your compliment, Fuhrer."

"Don't stop us now," Ed complained, lowering his arms, "We're not done yet."

Rather than a negative reaction to Ed's casual attitude, Fuhrer Bradley gave a hum and a nod. "That may be true, but if I let you go on… It would be much harder for just the two of you to clean up."

. . .

"Here."

Mustang looked up as I dropped my report on his desk. The folder was light in weight, but the thud it gave against the wood managed to echo in the room. He smirked, pulling it toward him. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to turn it in, Riley," He mused, opening the folder.

Falling into the nearest seat, I scoffed. "I think you'll see it lines up with Ed's pretty well," I mumbled, stretching my arms over the top of the couch. "Though I wasn't afforded the same amount of information as him from the locals…" I trailed off, watching Mustang lift a folder from the side of his desk and hold it out. Grinning, I plucked it from his grasp and began to read over Ed's report.

While I skimmed over the words, my eyes landed on a particular name, and I stiffened. When I sat up and turned back to Mustang, I saw him watching me, waiting for my reaction. He sighed and said, "He asked me for Marcoh's location, and I decided to give it to him."

This was unacceptable. "What? What if someone else finds out about this? They'll go after him. Mustang, this is-"

"Those boys would have found him eventually," Mustang interrupted, "I'm giving you this information so you can meet with Ed before he leaves. With you there, I'm hoping things go smoother. Quicker. Understand?"

After a moment, I sighed and nodded. If I could get Ed in and out of there, then maybe - just maybe - we could leave before the rest of the military caught word. "Thanks." Tossing Ed's report onto the desk, I stood and turned to the door, when a thought crossed my mind. "Why'd you blink?"

"What?"

Gesturing toward him, I explained, "At the mock fight. You were about to win, but you blinked. You hesitated. Why?"

He watched me for a minute longer, before closing his eyes. "You should hurry, Riley."

"…Right," I muttered. Knowing I wouldn't get any more out of him, I left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Yeah... So... *sucks on air* Sorry.

There have been a lot of personal problems keeping me away. I won't bore anyone with the details, so I will just apologize, and then push this along. I'm sorry.

_push push_

* * *

_The Beginning of Many Things_

For the most part, the train ride through East City was quiet. We left as soon as Mustang gave me the information I needed, which meant we had to skip out on dinner, showers, and sleep, so neither of us were in a talkative mood to begin with. After I told Hannah where we were going, our energies only declined further.

I'd spent the entire ride to that point stressing out. When I wasn't fidgeting in my seat and glancing over my shoulder every few seconds, I was staring at my watch and counting the seconds that ticked by. I was on edge, that much was certain, but if Hannah noticed this, she didn't mention it. She didn't mention anything, as she was far too engrossed in the paint peeling from the window sill next to her.

"Riley? Are you listening?"

Oh. So she was talking after all. Well that's awkward.

At my blank stare, Hannah sighed. "So you aren't."

"Nope," I shook my head.

She gave a small pout, crossing her arms over her knees. "I was thinking about where we were headed," She started, watching the scenery fly by.

"And?"

Her brow twitched a little, but I shrugged it off as a sign of exhaustion. "Well, you know my family isn't far from the village…," She trailed off with a frown.

This was true. She had a pretty regular family, not that that was a bad thing. Two successful parents, an ambitious older brother, a charming older sister. A cousin who liked to hang around on weekends and make mud pies and sell lemonade from their front yard. It was the kind of family you stick with, the kind you go back to when you've been gone for a while.

Thinking about them all, I nodded. "Yeah."

"And, it's been a long time since I've seen them all…" Hannah slowly turned her head to look at me, pleading with me to understand her request without her vocalizing it. Hannah seemed to forget that I like making things difficult for people.

I raised a brow and shrugged, urging her to continue. "So?"

With that, she snapped. "Can you say more than one-word sentences, Riley?" She asked through clenched teeth.

I grinned. "Technically they aren't sentences." When she glared at me, I sighed and leaned into the window. With a dry chuckle, I told her, "Hannah, you don't have to ask." She blinked in surprise, sitting a bit straighter as I added, "You want to go home, visit relatives. I get it. Well, not really, but I'm not going to stop you."

She bit her lip, chewing over my comments. Ha. Chewing over? No? Okay. "Are you sure?" She asked, leaning toward me a little with a shake of her head, 'I can visit them another time."

In response to her nerves, I gave a stern look. "Hannah."

"I know, it's just…" She sighed, her fingers curling around her arms and gripping tightly. "I have a bad feeling."

Snorting, I said, "I told you to not eat that tuna back at the hotel."

Her expression went blank as she muttered, "I didn't eat the tuna." At my skeptical hum, she hissed, "I didn't eat the tuna, Riley!"

The people in the booth next to us glanced over in confusion. Hannah blushed at the unwanted attention, to which I snickered behind my hand. Once they went back to themselves, I leaned forward and caught my friend's embarrassed gaze. I offered a soft smile, a serious one that I didn't hand out very often, and said, "Nothing's going to happen. Go be with your family, okay?"

This was enough to soothe her. Hannah smiled and eased into her seat. "Thank you."

More time passed on that long train ride, and Hannah started to fall asleep with her purse as her pillow. Once I knew she was out, I stood and started making my way through the train, looking for some familiar faces. Thanks to the train operator, I already knew the Elrics were aboard, but I wanted to know if there was anyone else from the military joining us for this journey as well.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Mustang. He was one of the few people in my line of work I knew I could count on. He'd even confided in me an opinion or two, maybe even taught me a few valuable lessons that ultimately boiled down to the same sentiment: Don't trust the military. I just wouldn't put it past another superier officer to spy and follow.

My suspicions were confirmed when I got to the last cart of the train. No one could mistake that big shiny head for anyone else.

Without catching his attention, I turned and went back toward the front of the train. I passed a snoring Hannah along the way, stopping long enough just to make sure she would stay out of it for a while more.

In a booth a few carts ahead of ours, I spotted them. Well, him. Alphonse. I spotted Al. Ed was just a tiny blob of yellow peaking out over the top of the seat. If not for the giant armor that literally everyone was looking at, I would've assumed that blob to be a child, or a suitcase, or a mustard stain.

Stifling the laughter my own joke incited, I sauntered over to their booth. Al had to be focused on something to notice me as I approached, but he finally started to shift when I arrived and rested my elbow on the top of the seat Ed was sitting in.

"Well what do we have here?" I pondered aloud, my free hand on my hip. At the sound of my voice, Ed turned to look up at me with wide eyes. Even Al managed to show surprise with his body language, his shoulders raising just a little. It was enough to make me grin in amusement.

"Riley…," Al muttered.

I lifted the hand that rested over the booth and wiggled my fingers at him. "Hey there."

By this point, Ed was no longer doe-eyed. He stared from under furrowed brows, the corners of his mouth set in a deep frown. "Funny how you just keep showing up," He spat out.

I ignored the tone as I moved around the booth and dropped down into the empty space next to him. Shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket, I smiled at him. "Life's funny, I guess."

"Are you writing another article?" Al asked, hoping to distract us and relax the tension.

I turned toward him. My tone changed from brother to brother, much less sarcastic and irritating with Al than I was with Ed. "Nah, no article for this trip. Hannah wants to visit some family, so we're taking a break," I answered.

Arms crossing over his chest, Ed snorted. "What a coincidence."

I closed my eyes and tried my best to sound dramatic, which was not a challenge by any stretch of the imagination. "I'm offended by your suspicion, Ed-o. I even came over to offer up my services like the selfless person I am, and I'm being coldly pushed away."

Al was the first to take a bite of the bait. "What kind of services?"

Opening my eyes, I stared at him. "Huh?"

"Stop messing with us!" Ed snapped, clearly past his tolerance for annoyances.

My gaze slid from Al to Ed and with a sinister smirk, I said, "I've got _nothing_ better to do with my time."

Ed was glowering at me at this point, his shoulders hunched up and his fists pressing into his knees. He didn't know how to deal with me, which just made things more fun for me. "Are you going to get to the point or not?" He growled out.

With a nervous sigh, Al murmured, "Brother, you are antagonizing her a little…"

I'd be lying if I said wasn't a bit touched by his words, but that was overshadowed once I saw the bulging of Ed's eyes. He stared at his brother and I started to laugh as he exclaimed, "_Me_? Antagonizing _her_? She's the one who keeps popping up where she isn't wanted!"

I had to wipe a tear from my eye as I commented. "Someone's where they aren't wanted, but it isn't me, Eddie."

Closing his eyes, his attention shifted back to me as he muttered, "You're really pissing me off with these nicknames, you know that?"

"I know exactly what kind of effect I have, as a matter of fact."

We didn't know each other for long. We didn't know each other very well. But there was one thing I could say with a fair amount of certainty - Ed was not pissed off. I'd seen him pissed off already, and it involved yelling and flailing and Al restraining him. This was not that sort of display. I frustrated him, sure, but he wasn't at his breaking point just yet, and I was curious how much I could do until he got there.

"Can we please get back to the point?"

Al's voice made me straighten my back and my smirk vanish. "Right, right, before he got me off track."

"Why you-!"

"You're being followed," I interrupted the blond.

Ed scoffed. "That's what I've been trying to say here!"

For once, rather than a smirk, I scowled, muttering, "Not by me, you idiot." The tone of my voice had to have been enough for him to get the hint, because there was an instant change with him. Now concerned, he faced me with full attention, so I decided to stop delaying. "I believe you know Major Armstrong? Big, bald fellow? Glittering eyes? Bit like a Labrador, really."

The brothers shared a long look before Ed found a sudden interest in the floor. "Armstrong's following us?" Al asked, to which I nodded.

"Someone knows we're going after Marcoh."

At Ed's words, I felt the pit in my stomach grow larger. 'Going after' sounded a bit aggressive, and if I were on better terms with him, I would have asked him then and there to clarify his exact intentions. But I wasn't on any sort of good term with him just yet, so I kept my concerns to myself and forced a smirk. "Marcoh, huh? Well isn't that _funny_?"

Ed's head lifted as if remembering I was there and… Well, not someone who was supposed to know where he was headed. "What's funny?"

I hummed before sitting forward. "I should get back to my booth," I deflected as I stood up and started to leave.

A hand around my arm stopped me. When I turned back, I was caught a bit off guard by the intensity of Ed's eyes. "Riley," He started, "Whatever's going on, stay out of it." Before I could muster up the dramatics to reply, he cut me off with a small tug on my arm. "I'm serious. This is getting dangerous, and if you keep showing up like this, you're bound to get hurt."

Al didn't offer any nervous comments in my defense this time, and I almost felt ganged up on when I glanced his way and saw the subtle nodding of his head. I flattened my stare, turning back to the older Elric.

"Is this where you say 'I can't protect you, Riley,' and I swoon?"

His grip on my arm slipped off as he reeled back."Wha-"

"Sorry, Ed-o, but I don't think falling into the arms of someone shorter than me is going to look very cool."

"Shorte- You're only an inch or two taller than I am!" He yelled out, jumping to his feet to prove it.

My expression didn't change. "Been observing me, have you?" I quipped.

It was hard to hide the smile once I spotted Al's form shaking in the corner of my eye. When a snort of stifled laughter came out of him, Ed blushed and looked down to keep it from me. "Go back to your booth, Riley," He growled, sitting back down.

"Yep," I mused as I turned and finally left the brothers in peace.

. . .

"I'll see you in three days."

Hannah and I stood in front of one another at the train station, having arrived just a few minutes earlier. Most of the people on the train had already left and were scrambling to exit the station and go about their day. Although Hannah's attention was on me, my mind was elsewhere. I looked around us, over people's heads and around luggage, to spot the Elrics or Armstrong. Or hell, even Marcoh.

"Three days," I replied in distracted tone.

Still she pushed. "We'll meet at this exact spot, all right?"

"Exact spot," I nodded.

An agitated sigh made me glance over to her. "Riley, will you please focus on me for five minutes?" She asked me with a frown.

My shoulders dropped, but I did as she asked. Staring into her eyes, I held up hands to either side of my face to draw a line of sight and put on a display of concentration.

She wasn't annoyed by this, almost smiling even. Her tone softened as she whispered to me, "Be careful."

I lowered my hands, flashing a crooked smile. "You worry too much."

"Someone has to. You certainly aren't going to do it," Hannah said with a tense voice, trying to restrain herself from snapping at me.

It almost made me want to apologize for something, the way she was looking at me. Instead, I sighed and waved her off. "Get out of my hair, will ya?"

A weak smile formed on her lips, and she nodded. "Three days."

I held up three fingers for confirmation, and she rolled her eyes before turning away. I watched her back until she disappeared into the crowd that was still filing out of the station.

Despite what Hannah thought, I was worried about a few things. I could even pinpoint most of them: Marcoh's wellbeing, Ed's intentions, Armstrong's orders. Those were all things on my mind that kept me from relaxing on the train, kept me from engaging in conversation with Hannah. But the problem - the nagging little problem at the back of my mind - was what I couldn't decipher. It was vague and yet, at the same time, felt more threatening than any other pressing matters. Maybe that's what Hannah was feeling, too.

Shaking my head, I started to leave, only to find two old friends staring at me. I frowned at them; they frowned immediately back. Well, one of them did. "Can I help you two?"

Ed crossed his arms over his chest, something he'd been doing a lot around me. He stared at me the way you would a child you just caught sneaking into the cookie jar, if you had a child and owned a cookie jar. "Not going with your friend?" He asked.

I shrugged, my hands going back to my pockets. "Family reunions aren't my thing."

"So you're going to be in town for three days with no job?" He pressed on.

With a roll of my eyes, I muttered, "Are you trying to be subtle? I really can't tell."

From beside his brother, Al stepped forward and didn't allow him time to retort. "Will you help us, Riley?"

Ed spun to face him. "Al!"

They both looked at one another, Al standing with more confidence than I'd seen of him in the past. Perhaps he was getting fed up. "She knows the area, Brother, and we're being followed. You said it yourself back on the train, she might know where Marcoh is."

I lifted a hand to my chest, scoffing loudly. "You've been _talking_ about me?"

Al turned toward me, ignoring my comment to say, "Riley, you've been holding back information, but I think we can trust you. Will you please help us?"

Aw. I was definitely touched by that. It was pretty obvious to me that during the remainder of the train ride, they had been bickering over me like I was a lost kitten. 'Let's take her in,' 'we don't need that trouble,' 'look at how cute she is!'

So maybe not exactly like a lost kitten, but something similar to it.

With a dramatic sigh and a nod, I agreed to the boy's request. "All right. I'll do your brother's work for him."

"Hey, I don't need-"

I didn't have time to care about what Ed wanted to protest over. Several yards behind him and Al, I spotted Armstrong exiting the train. He must have waited for the carts to empty out first, keeping a safe distance and not sticking out among of sea of normal-sized people.

"Come on," I muttered, gesturing to the exit with my head.

Ed followed my line of sight and, upon finding the Major who'd followed them out of East City, he turned to leave. The brothers fell in line behind me as I left. "Where are we going?" Ed asked under his breath.

Once out of the station, I took in a deep breath of fresh air before I answered.

"How about lunch?"


	6. Chapter 6

_Page Turners and Cliff Hangers_

Know what's more awkward than a silent seven minute walk to a cafe with someone you don't particularly know, trust, or think you even like?

Eating a silent lunch with someone you don't particularly know, trust, or think you even like.

That's what we were doing. Ed sat across from me, with Al at the side of the table between us. I twisted a fork around in my pasta, resting my chin on my free hand and staring with very little subtlety at Ed. It wasn't unprovoked this time - in fact, he'd been staring with an equal intensity since we first sat down.

I really wanted to know what he was thinking about me. It wasn't good, I imagined, but it couldn't have been too bad, either. He was eating with me. We were working together, however temporarily. I assumed that, if he was feeling anything toward me, it was akin to what someone feels when they're trying to solve a riddle that just doesn't make any sense. Confusion, frustration, impatience. A little threatened. That was definitely it. I was a strange girl with strange excuses, and I was showing up at some pretty weird times. Anyone would regard me in the way he was.

Seeing Al shift in his seat, I pursed my lips. Well, almost anyone. I glanced at him with an imploring look, and he finally spoke up. "So... Where do we start?"

I shoved a forkful of pasta into my mouth. It gave me a few seconds to think while I chewed on my food. It also irked Ed, who seemed to have been waiting for this conversation ever since I agreed to help them. Once I swallowed my bite, I waved my fork around in the air as I said, "Well, I'll need some information from you two, first."

"Information?" Al asked, "On Marcoh?"

When I nodded, they shared a cautious glance. Ed turned, answering for his brother. "How about you just help us find a man named Tim Marcoh?"

My annoyed stare only made him narrow his eyes at me. "Even dogs need a scent to start with," I told him.

His shoulders dropped as he realized I was right, at least to some extent. Looking down at his food, he paused to think over what he knew, and what he was willing to share. After a moment, he lifted his head. "Marcoh's hiding from the military. He has some medical experience. He's probably using a different name."

I nodded, my eyes wandering away from him. He fell silent, assuming I was thinking over what he'd just listed off. Really, though, I was planning my next step. Mustang sent me here to make this easy and quick, but they'd already been discovered, and there was a big bulky State Alchemist roaming the streets to prove it. I thought over ways to get to Marcoh's without being seen, but none of them would work - at least as long as Al was with us. My eyes lowered onto the boy, who had ordered a plate of food and proceeded to drop pieces of it into his armor and make chewing sounds.

I knew the truth about what was inside that armor. I'd had suspicions about him, and the moment I knocked on his back during Ed and Mustang's assessment was the proof I needed. His 'eating' was an unnecessary show for my sake, which only made me feel guilty for even thinking about sending him on a wild goose chase to distract Armstrong.

"So?" Ed murmured, a biscuit making his cheeks puff out like a chipmunk.

Stabbing my fork into the remnants of my food, I said, "I need Armstrong off your backs before I can help you."

The boys sat a bit straighter, clearly not expecting to hear that, of all things. Face scrunching up in frustration, Ed swallowed his biscuit. "Just let us worry about Armstrong, all right?"

"Nuh-uh," I shook my head, "I need to know for sure that we're not going to be followed."

"That's funny, coming from you," Ed muttered.

I leaned forward a little and quirked a brow. "You really like that word, huh?" He glowered and leaned forward to argue, but I beat him to it. I met his stare with one of my own, my casual demeanor vanishing.

"You don't trust me. I don't expect you to. But between the three of us, I'm the one with Marcoh's best interests at heart. So while we're all here looking for him, you're the one who has to prove your intentions to me. Okay?" I ended my question with a bright smile.

Ed was thrown off his game by this. He blinked a few times, processing what I'd just said. Trying to decide whether he should argue or give in, or just leave the cafe altogether. His food had been abandoned, something I had a feeling was a shocking feat for him.

From beside us, I heard Al. "He helped you, didn't he?" We both turned our attention to the boy who was staring directly at me. "When we first heard about Marcoh, it was because he helped a girl in Xenotime. If this is where he's living, he's probably doing the same thing around here. You're trying to protect him because he helped you. Is that it?"

My blank stare lasted a few more seconds before I broke out in an amused grin. "Well look at you, Alphonse! Keep that up and you could be a journalist some day," I mused, pointing my fork at him.

If he could have, he would have blushed. He rubbed the back of his metallic neck, laughing nervously. "Thanks, I think."

With the tension gone, for the most part, Ed sighed. Up until now, I was the shady one with the unclear motives, and he was the one who had to watch his back. At least in his mind, anyway. But now, I was flipping that on its head, and he was just starting to come to that realization. "Look, we're not here to hurt Marcoh," He started, his tone a little deflated but entirely sincere. "I don't care why he's hiding. I don't want to do anything to him. I just have questions that need answers."

"About the Philosopher's Stone," I urged.

He stiffened at this, uncomfortable with my casual mentioning of what appeared to be a sensitive subject for him. "Yeah…," He nodded.

It was my turn to sigh. When it came down to it, I didn't think they had sinister motives. I knew Ed wasn't finding Marcoh for the military. I knew his reasons. Mustang told me his reasons, before I'd even met the Elrics. And I didn't think Mustang would lie to me. It wasn't a matter of trusting them.

I just wanted an excuse to keep them away. I wanted them to slip up and give me a reason to stop them. Al was right, in a way, but there was nothing either of them could have said to change the way I felt about the whole thing. I had a feeling it was the same for them. Nothing I said would dissuade them from looking. When it came down to it, I was only deciding whether or not I wanted to be there.

"Then I'll take you to him, I guess," I finally said.

They _especially_ weren't expecting that. If they had been holding anything when I said it, I'm sure those items would have been dropped. Ed's back straightened, his eyes widened, his shoulders tensed up. Al's arms slid off the table surface, his armor shifting against itself and drowning out his faint gasp.

Al was able to form words sooner than Ed. "You know where he is?"

"Of course I do," I started with a smile. My chin still on the palm of my hand, I lowered my fork and said, "He's my teacher."

. . .

The bomb I dropped back at the cafe was not something the boys could quickly recover from, it would seem. They asked question after question, wanting to know how I knew Marcoh, and exactly what sorts of things he taught me. I guess once they realized I was closer to this than they first assumed, they were no longer hesitant when it came to talking about the Philosopher's Stone around me, because they also wanted to know if I knew anything at all about his work on the stone.

I was not helpful.

Marcoh's work wasn't something he liked to discuss - and I warned them about this as we walked down the road, trying to lose Armstrong.

"It's not like he taught me the secret to the universe or anything," I rolled my eyes as we turned down another alley way, "He uses his work to help people, but he's never explained it to me. Whatever you expect me to share, I don't have it."

"Sorry if I don't believe you right away. You haven't exactly been the most straight-forward person we've talked to, you know," Ed said beside me.

I stopped at the end of the alley, looking down at him with big eyes. "I've been completely honest, thank you very much," I told him, pressing a hand against the center of my chest, "And I'm hurt, Ed-o. Really."

He frowned. "Just take us to Marcoh, already. We've lost Armstrong by now."

A moment of silence passed before I said, "Okay, correction: I've been mostly honest."

"…Riley?" Al urged me to continue. I could feel his nerves even in the empty shell he resided in.

Shoving my hands into my pockets, I looked both ways down the road. "It's been a few years since I've been gone. I don't remember this flower shop being here."

"Riley?" Al repeated.

From the side of my eye, I could see Ed's frown deepening. He stared at me with incredulity. "Don't tell me you're lost."

"If you weren't hounding me with questions for the past ten minutes, I wouldn't be!" I exclaimed, facing him finally.

Offense flashed across his features. He lifted his fist for emphasis, yelling back, "If you knew where you were going, my questions wouldn't have changed that!"

I sputtered out several attempts at a response, but could form no solid argument. Behind us, Al spoke, having stepped up to the role of mediator. "We'll just ask around and maybe you can get your bearings, Riley."

We glanced to the younger Elric, and I nodded my head. "Great idea! Let's do that, Alphonse," I replied, turning on my heel and leaving the alley. Ed muttered under his breath about me as we pressed onward.

We walked through the village side by side, asking various people for directions. As the brothers soon learned, Marcoh had taken up a nice new identity while he lived here. Doctor Mauro, as he was now called, was pretty well liked by everyone. He healed those who were considered terminal, patched up serious wounds, soothed ills that kept farmers from working. Children especially liked him and the bright red light that came from his hands when he worked on people.

During one of our stops to ask for directions, Al managed to get tangled up in a favor for a child whose cat was up a tree. Ed and I waited by the roadside, watching a suit of armor reach up into branches and try to help Queen Snowball, who was very displeased with the situation, and her young owner who was even less happy about it all.

"I've been thinking…," Ed began.

I glanced over, raising a brow. "Just started, have you?"

He twitched, but chose to ignore my comment. "It seems pretty strange to me that someone who was taught under Marcoh would just be a journalist."

I snorted. "Are you telling me I should have aimed higher? Like what, a State Alchemist?"

"You were mentored by someone who worked on the Philosopher's Stone, and now you're with the military," Ed paused to deliver a hard stare my way, "You aren't here just to write articles."

Our staring contest lasted a few tense seconds, before I reeled back. "I don't care about the Philosopher's Stone," I said as I looked back out at the field. Al was halfway up the tree now, the little girl pushing his foot higher up the trunk with little to no avail.

The bluntness of my comment must have struck a cord in Ed, because he remained quiet, watching me. "I know you must think being his mentor means something wonderful, but it really doesn't. Marcoh kept his work away from me. It was his one rule. I wasn't even allowed in the room when he was healing people. Maybe it's because I was so near it all that time and I never learned about it, but I just don't care about the stone."

This was the truth. All these stories we'd heard from residents of the village, all these miracles - as everyone around here called them - were products of a science I didn't understand. I tried to get Marcoh to explain it to me, on multiple occasions, but he never did. It was the one thing I was never able to convince him to do, in fact. He was easy enough to manipulate, when you're a young child with puppy eyes, but the stones were always strictly off limits.

As I continued to speak, I could tell Ed was relaxing a little. Whether it was the fact I wasn't teasing or being intentionally vague, I didn't know. "Then why are you following us?"

I almost laughed. Ed was irrational, rebellious, and hot-headed, but he was not stupid. I turned to look at him, grinning, as I said, "Because this is going to be one hell of a story."

A loud crash in the field drew our attention away from each other, and as Queen Snowball assaulted Al's metal chest with a flurry of angry scratching, I knew this was going to become a conversation we'd have to pick up at another time.


End file.
